Weekly religion news roundup (June 20-26, 2025)
Photograph by Utsav Srestha via Unsplash
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela
4 things to know about the U.S. airstrikes on Iran. Iran's government is weighing how to respond after the U.S. military launched a series of coordinated bombing attacks Saturday against three Iranian nuclear facilities in a major escalation of the ongoing Middle East conflict. (NPR News)
Trump thanks God after bombing Iran. President Donald Trump thanked God for the surprise bombing campaign he carried out against Iran Saturday, June 21. In comments to the nation on live TV Saturday evening, Trump ended by saying: “And in particular, God, I want to just say, we love you God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East, God bless Israel, and God bless America.” (Baptist News Global)
Suicide bomber attack on church in Syria kills at least 20 people. At least 20 people have been killed and 52 more are injured after a “terrorist attack” on a Greek Orthodox church in the Syrian capital on Sunday, according to the country’s health ministry. (CNN News)
Zohran Mamdani is running to be New York mayor. How his Muslim faith stirred the race. Mamdani’s focus on kitchen table issues has drawn interest across the Muslim spectrum, but his progressive positions on Gaza may alienate voters from other religious communities. (RNS)
New Texas law will require Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom. A similar law in Louisiana was blocked when a federal appeals court ruled Friday it was unconstitutional. (RNS)
Each Friday in The Christian Citizen, we publish a Religion News Roundup with summaries of religion news stories and links for those who want to read more.
‘Trey’s law’ signed by governors in Missouri and Texas. “Trey’s Law” is now the law of the land in Missouri and Texas after governors Mike Kehoe and Greg Abbott signed their versions of the bill this month. On June 10, Missouri Gov. Kehoe signed SB-81, a comprehensive public safety bill. Among multiple provisions modified in the packaged bill is Missouri’s version of “Trey’s Law,” which makes Non-Disclosure Agreements signed in child sexual abuse cases unenforceable. This version of the bill also broadens the list of criminal acts that qualify as child sexual abuse under civil law. (Baptist News Global)
A pastor says God and a heroic security team prevented a mass shooting at his Detroit-area church. A pastor said Monday that the “hand of God” prevented a mass shooting at his Detroit-area church when an armed man was struck by a pickup truck and fatally shot by security staff before he could enter and attack more than 100 people. (Associated Press)
What to Know About the Islamic New Year and How Muslims Observe It. Muslims will soon welcome a new lunar year in what's known as the Hijri calendar. (US News)
Supreme Court will hear case of Rastafarian whose dreadlocks were shaved by Louisiana prison guards. The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear the appeal of a former Louisiana prison inmate whose dreadlocks were cut off by prison guards in violation of his religious beliefs. (Associated Press)
Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission repeats evangelical grievances. The first meeting of President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission was an exercise in airing conservative evangelical grievances, much like the first meeting of his Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, according to observers. (Baptist News Global)
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela is senior writer at American Baptist Home Mission Societies and assistant editor of The Christian Citizen.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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